


my achilles spot

by xogray



Series: percabeth oneshots [2]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Book 5: The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson), F/M, im bad at tags, soft!percy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:14:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25395196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xogray/pseuds/xogray
Summary: they sat there for a moment as she looked at their hands distractedly, her fingers tracing his palm lightly. they watched the sun come up over the city. there should've been heavy traffic and crowds by now. but there weren't.-or the one in which annabeth takes the knife for percy and they talk about it
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson
Series: percabeth oneshots [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1839274
Kudos: 121





	my achilles spot

**Author's Note:**

> originally posted 7/20/20  
> edited 9/23/20  
> -i made this story third person

after silena left, percy pulled over a small stool and sat next to the lounge chair annabeth was in. he lifted his hand to her forehead. she was still burning up. annabeth gave him a weak smile as she looked up at him.

"you're cute when you're worried," she muttered. "your eyebrows get all scrunched up."

percy's heart skipped a beat at her words. he couldn't find it in himself to react though when she looked like she was moments away from death. "you are not going to die while i owe you a favor," he told her. "why did you take that knife for me?"

"you would've done the same for me."

percy knew she was right. he didn't reply as he carefully picked her hand up, holding it with both of his as he raised it to his lips gently. she watched his movements for a few seconds, then closed her eyes and took a breath. percy moved their hands from his lips to his chin, looking at her for a moment. she was pale, and her blonde hair stuck to her face with sweat from her fever.

"how did you know?" he asked quietly. she opened her eyes, confusion taking over her features.

"know what?"

percy looked around, making sure they were alone, even though he knew they were, before leaning closer. he kept her hand intertwined as he set their hands by her side on her chair. "my achilles spot," he whispered. "if it weren't for you, that knife would've killed me." her eyes drifted around his face lazily, as if she couldn't focus on spot.

"i don't know, percy. i just had this feeling you were in danger." annabeth blinked a few times before refocusing her eyes on his. "where... where is the spot?" she asked.

he wasn't supposed to tell anyone. but this was annabeth. if he couldn't trust her, he couldn't trust anyone.

"the small of my back," percy said quietly.

annabeth took her hand out from between his and set her fingers on his lower back lightly, a few inches from where the spot was. "where? here?" she said. her gray eyes seemed to be very focused on percy's now. he reached back and moved her fingers over a little. when they drifted over the spot, it felt like electricity going through his body, making him straighten his back a little.

"you saved me," he said. "thank you."

her eyes lost the intense focus they had previously as she moved her hand off percy's back and he took it between his again. "so you owe me," annabeth said weakly. "what's new?"

they sat there for a moment as she looked at their hands distractedly, her fingers tracing his palm lightly. they watched the sun come up over the city. there should've been heavy traffic and crowds by now. but there weren't. far away, percy heard a car alarm echoing off the streets. a column of black smoke drifted into the sky somewhere in harlem. he wondered how many ovens had been left on when morpheus put his spell on the city. everyone in new york was in danger, and all their lives depended on them.

"you wanted to know why hermes was mad at me," annabeth said. percy looked at her and her eyes stayed on the city. he had a fleeting thought about how pretty she was, even in her current state. but there were more pressing concerns than how he felt about her.

"hey, you should rest," he said gently and she turned to him then, that intense focus returning to her eyes.

"no," she said. "i wanna tell you. it's been bothering me for a while." percy just nodded and she seemed to relax a little at this. she hesitated though, gathering her thoughts. "luke came to see me. last year, in san francisco."

"in person?" he asked dumbly. percy felt like he'd just been hit in the stomach. "he came to your house?"

"this was before we went into the labyrinth. before..." she faltered. but percy knew what she wanted to say. before luke turned into kronos. "he came under a flag of truce. he said he just wanted to talk. he looked scared, percy. he told me kronos was gonna use him to take over the world. he said he wanted to run away, like the old days. he wanted me to come with him."

"but you didn't trust him."

"no," she said, "of course i didn't. i thought it was a trick. plus... well a lot has changed since the old days. i told him no. he got mad. he told me i might as well fight him then and there because it would be the last chance i got."

annabeth's forehead broke out in a sweat and her grip on percy's hand loosened. this story was taking too much energy from her.

"hey, it's okay," he told her. "get some rest."

"you don't understand perce," she said, her dark eyes locked on his. he wondered if she'd meant to call him perce. the only nicknames he'd ever gotten from her were seaweed brain and idiot. "hermes was right. i could've stopped him. i could've saved him." she stopped, her eyes dropping. "or... i mean i had my knife. luke was unarmed. i could've..." she couldn't finish her sentence, closing her eyes, holding percy's hand tighter.

"you couldn't have killed him, annabeth," he said gently. "you know that wouldn't have been right. and you would've held it against yourself forever." she just nodded quietly.

"luke said kronos would use him as a stepping stone. those were his exact words." annabeth opened her eyes. they looked glassy as if she might cry. gods, he wanted to pull her into a hug and never let go.

"he did that," percy said. "he possessed luke's body."

"but what if luke's body is just a stepping stone?" she said, looking at the city again. "what if it's just a transition into something more powerful? i could've stopped him. this war is my fault."

"annabeth," percy said, his voice softer than he expected. she didn't look at him. "annabeth," he repeated. she turned towards him, a single tear traveling down her cheek. percy let go of her hand with one of his and lifted it to wipe the tear, then held her cheek gently. "you can't blame yourself for this. especially not because hermes told you that it was your fault. he feels guilty too and he wanted to try to shift the guilt to you. but you aren't at fault. besides, it very well may have been a trick. you trusted your instincts. it's okay." annabeth closed her eyes again and pressed her cheek into his hand more. she took a few breaths before opening her eyes.

"i know you're right," annabeth said quietly. "but i'll still always blame myself a little." she took her cheek away from his hand and reached up, grabbing it with her own before bringing it to her lips for a moment. "thank you," she whispered, giving him a soft smile.

percy moved to sit on an empty spot on her chair, near her side. "of course i'm right, wise girl. i always am." she chuckled lightly, which made him smile. "you should rest," he said as he touched her forehead again. percy reached over to grab a cloth from the arm of the chair and thankfully, it was somewhat cold. he ran it over her forehead, pushing back the baby hairs that were stuck to her skin.

"okay," she whispered.

annabeth took his hand and kissed his fingers again before placing their intertwined hands by her side, closing her eyes. he used his other hand to keep the cold cloth, that was warming up a little from her body temperature, on her forehead, continuously pushing her hair back with it. within minutes, annabeth's grip on his hand loosened and her breathing fell even. he let go of her hand and stood up carefully. percy took the cloth from her head and found the bucket of water silena had used earlier to wet it. he dipped it in and wrung it out, kneeling next to her. percy looked at her for a second before gently kissing her forehead, then placing the cold rag over it again.

he got up and walked back to the sliding glass door of the hotel room. he opened the door and stepped in, looking back one more time. percy felt an immense feeling of gratitude that she was alive and safe. he slid the door closed and took a breath. only seconds later, connor stoll opened the hotel room door.

"percy," he said. "grover just came back with mrs. o'leary. i think you should talk to him."

**Author's Note:**

> this is honestly very similar to the real version so a lot of credit to rick riordan obviously, i just wanted them to be a little softer ! forehead kiss supremacy


End file.
